Illusions
by The Design Nerd
Summary: The twins are 21, inseparable, and preparing to graduate college, about to check off yet another chapter of their lives. For their last Spring Break, they travel back to Gravity Falls seeking one final adventure before they're forced into the real world. But once you enter this mysterious town, there's no telling what's real and what's not. Rated T for reasons.
1. Not What They Seem

**I'm sure you're confused, as I haven't really said anything about having a new fic, but here it is. The idea just came to me a while back and it's been easy to write (probably because I can apply some of my life to it) so here I present to you:**

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**Chapter 1: **_Not What They Seem_

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Shuffling past a mix of people in the narrow hallway, Mabel Pines finally reached the room she had been looking for: 618S. Decorated with a blue pine tree and a few strange cryptic doodles on the whiteboard, she knew this was the studio suite she had been searching for.

"Hey Dip, I'm…ready?"

Upon opening the door, the brunette in skinny jeans and the perfectly-stitched, fitted sweater turned her nose up in disgust. Strewn about the floor of her brother's beige dorm living room were several pairs of dirty shirts and socks along with dishes overflowing from the tiny kitchen sink. Somehow a pair of underwear affixed itself to the buzzing fluorescent light above, causing her to back up a few paces. Unfortunately for her ballet flats, she submerged her heel in a bowl of what appeared to be yogurt. Nope, cereal.

"How on earth are you expecting to pass room inspections, Dippingsauce?" She asked while leaping from empty space to empty space on the stained carpet, "You know you'll get charged if you don't clean this up…and by the looks of it, with manslaughter, not fifty bucks."

"If they'll clean all this up for fifty dollars while we're gone, let them. They'd only be ripping themselves off and plus, I don't have time to clean today. I'm a busy guy," The 21-year old in the worn pine tree cap smiled as he stuffed yet another plaid shirt into the already-bulging suitcase. No sooner than he zipped the bag up, he frowned in disapproval, ran off toward the sink, and grabbed his electric razor. Upon intently studying what might as well have been an explosive, he opted to tuck the final item in his back pocket instead. Grabbing the keys from underneath a pizza box, the twins dashed out of the bustling dormitory and toward the small red car Dipper bought a few years back.

"So what are you gonna do when we get there, Dipper?" Mabel beamed as she tried shoving the trunk closed with all her weight, "I'm going to Greasy's and ordering the tallest stack of pancakes EVER! Nuts to the calories! You in?"

"Uhh…yeah sure Mabes."

He closed the maroon book with a snap, tucked it in the cubby of the car door, then pulled the tattered seatbelt across his chest and turned the key in the ignition. After a few bouts of straining from the motor, the engine finally roared to life. Dipper smiled as his sister hopped in, carefully avoiding the bags and receipts that piled on the floor like she had done it her whole life. Both laughed as their eyes met a pair of cowboy boots and a rattlesnake tail.

"Where did you even _get _a pair of cowboy boots?"

"I thought you knew. Whose are those, anyways?" The younger one laughed and his sister crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Kidding, kidding. I went through a phase. Who hasn't wanted a pair of cowboy boots at some point?"

She shrugged as they pulled out of the parking lot. After a while, the air grew stale in Dipper's old sedan, prompting Mabel to crank up the air conditioner. She turned the knob only for it to spew molten air back at her face. Nervously changing it back as if it were to seek revenge and singe her hair, she manually rolled down the window instead, letting the faint scent of pine needles fill the car. Before long, the ancient vehicle came to a sputtering stop in front of the familiar totem pole, marking their location as the Mystery Shack.

Most people had plans to go to the beach, to Mexico, or to a concert, but Dipper and Mabel were different. The siblings chose a small town over a city, pine trees over waves, ancient secrets over popular destinations. They were returning to Gravity Falls, land of mystery and intrigue, to stay with their favorite great uncle for the week.

"Ahh, summer home, sweet summer home," Dipper said, closing the door behind him with a loud squeak and a thud as he drew in a deep breath of pine-soaked air. The twins stared at the triangular-framed house, sharing the same nostalgic grin. They stepped onto the porch and as they were about to knock, the front door swung open and there stood a familiar smiling face. Just not the face they were expecting.

The backlit figure narrowed his eyes dangerously with an aqua glow, "Dipper Pines…What a delight. And Mabel, radiant as ever."

Had it not been for his introduction, no one could have recognized him as Gideon Gleeful. It seemed the combination of time, puberty, and that prison stay years back really did the little creep well. His white hair now stood at a more reasonable height and although still skillfully coiffed as if it were a marble sculpture, he finally allowed a few tendrils to hang freely down his forehead. His voice took on a more local accent and deep tone, leaving only a faint trace of his Texan heritage. Plus, he no longer wore his trademark powder blue suit. It was replaced with worn jeans and a simple starred tee. He stepped into the daylight and flashed a winning smile toward the older twin.

"So, y'all finally decided to come back around," His boots clicked on the porch's floorboards and he proudly leaned against a beam in front of a clearly shocked Mabel, "You've got a lot of catching up to do."

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**Hope you like it! I'm working on some 618 after this and it won't be long for more Illusions. I promise you.**


	2. Twists and Turns

**I'm updating so many things! I feel slightly accomplished...slightly.**

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_"__So, y'all finally decided to come back around," His boots clicked on the porch's floorboards and he proudly leaned against a beam in front of a clearly shocked Mabel, "You've got a lot of catching up to do."_

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"What did you do with Stan?!" Dipper demanded.

Gideon only gave a sly smile as he reached into his pocket and showed off a familiar-looking stone. He tossed it slightly in the air and snatched it with the same hand, then placed it back in his pocket as an eerie glow burned a blue fire in his eyes. Dipper felt his mouth, absentmindedly thinking of lamb shears, and stepped back slightly.

"Ya see, when I was younger, I had no _idea_ the feats I could perform with one a'these. Let's just say I had plenty of time to practice," He glared at Dipper, "If I hadn't had so much free time to think while I _rotted _in jail, nothing more would've come of it. But thanks to your uncle, _Stanford Pines, _I've found it's more than meets the eye, to say the least."

The twins exchanged a glance and Mabel piped up with a twinge of rage, "So what did you _do_ to Stan?"

"Simply repaid the favor is all," Gideon simply inspected his nails, uninterested.

"What does that even mean?" The girl flailed her arms like a maniac. Apparently nine years doesn't change some people as much as you'd think.

Dipper stood his ground and clenched his fists, "I swear if you did anything to him..."

"Now, now. No need to get so feisty, boy. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to go back into my house now and for y'all to GET OFF MY PROPERTY!"

He slammed the old oak door in their faces and stepped back into the Shack, grinning all the way. Once the twins finally left the porch, his eyes morphed together unnaturally and with a concentrated grunt, he shape-shifted back into his natural form that floated a couple feet above the warped planks of the gift shop.

"Okay, I did your dirty work. Now where's my other half of our deal?" His eyebrow rose as he glowed with each syllable, "We made an agreement, kid."

The short psychic kid, looking exactly the same as nine years ago, stepped into the light with a devilish grin, "You'll get the rest of what's yours, demon. But I need to keep ya around to throw off any suspicion and keep 'em busy while your end of the bargain is realized."

The first half of his reward was already completed. Bill could finally exist outside the dreamscape, thanks to the surprisingly naive kid. The other fifty percent had taken a bit of subconscious convincing on the demon's part. Of course, it was just second nature to the triangular demon. How else would he get people to do his bidding? No one in their right mind would actually trust a cocky glowing tortilla chip on their own free will.

"How good are you at...illusions?" Gideon continued, eyeing the cat-eyed triangle suspiciously.

Bill simply removed his hat from orbit above his head and swirled a bright blue flame around it. When the cool inferno was extinguished, the top hat was fully transformed into a red fez with a cryptic golden illustration on the front.

"C'mon. I could do this in your sleep. Who do you think I am? Apparently not Bill Cipher, dream demon extraordinaire, creator of nightmares, destroyer of dreamscapes," Bill looked at the kid cockily as another flickering flash revealed a pine tree cap in place of the fez, "I literally just became you. What's wrong, kid? Spend too much of your jail time up against your cellmates' fists?"

Gideon's face flushed red with anger, "Listen ta me Cipher. I am not one to be taken lightly!"

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me that when you're taller, Pentagram," The triangle reclined back in midair and lazily inspected his nails.

"Do you _want _your other half a'the deal or not?!" The kid fumed.

"Fine. Just simmer down, short stack. I got this," He landed lightly on the floor and leaned an elbow casually against his cane, hat still reflecting Dipper's symbol. Within a blue wall of flame, he shifted from Dipper to Mabel, Wendy to Stan, Soos to a number of familiar faces, then back to one-eyed isosceles. The triangle seemed to smile smugly despite his lack of a mouth.

The white-haired boy mouthed only one word: "Perfect."

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I actually have this all planned out for a change. All my stories actually have outlines now so I won't lose my original plot plans again! (This should make updates easier to come by too.) Fav/Follow/Review!**


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